Furniture-caster



No. 6|6.3l0. Patented Dec. 20, I898. J. H. GODDEN &. G. A. SEELY.

FURNITURE EASTER.

(Application filed June 10, 1898.;

(No Model.)

PATENT FFICE.

JOHN H. GODDEN AND GEORGE A.

SEELY, OF EMMETTSBURG, IOWVA.

FURNlTURE-CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,310, dated December20, 1898.

' Application filed June 10,1898. Serial No. 683,112. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN H. GODDEN and GEORGE A. SEELY, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Emmettsburg,in the county of Palo Alto andState of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFurniture-Casters and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements infurniture-casters, and particularly to that class of casters embodying atwo-part casing having a roller-ball inclosed therein andantifriction-bearings for said roller; and the particular object of theinvention is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive casterwherein the antifriction balls or rollers are protected from injury byextraneous shooks or blows and provision made for securing the castermuch more firmly and efiectively to the leg or other part of an articleof furniture.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in thefeatures and in the construction, combination, and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, and specifically set forth in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a verticallongitudinal section of a caster constructed in accordance with ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the cap. Fig. 3 is atop planview'thereof, showing the bracket-plate in position. Fig. at is a bottomperspective View of the bracketplate, and Fig. 5 is a view showing amodified form of cap.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like letters ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Arepresents the leg or other part of an article of furniture to which thecaster is applied, and B the casing of the caster. The said casingconsists, essentially, of a cylindrical cup O,open at both ends andcontracted at its lower end d and screw-threaded internally at its upperend, and a cap E, provided on its under side with a trefoliate orthree-cornered boss F, which is adapted to fit down into the upper endof the cup and is screw-threaded exteriorly to engage the internalthreads of the same.

The boss F is chambered to receive a series of antifriction-balls g,preferably three in number and triangularly arranged, as shown, one ballbeing located within each extension of the chamber in the corners of theboss and mounted to revolve on axles projecting across said extensionsand fixed in the walls thereof. These balls form a three-point bearingfor the roller-ball H, which is inclosed in the cup 0 and has its lowerportion projecting through the contracted opening in the bottom thereof,so as to contact with the floor. It will be apparent from theconstruction above set forth that as the bearing-balls are inclosedwithin the trefoliate boss, which constitutes a rigid wall interposedbetween the same and the cup, all liability of the balls being injuredor their axles bent or broken by extraneous shocks or blows, such as areproduced in moving furniture from one portion of a room to another, andespecially from room to room over proj ecting door-sills, is avoided,thereby prolongin g the life and materially increasing the efficiency ofthe caster.

In the preferred construction disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the upperside or face of the cap is recessed to form a chamber I, and the innerside of the annular wall J thereof is provided with cam-faces 7a. In thebody of the cap are also screw-holes Z, located on the under side withinthe boundaries of the exterior recesses of the trefoliate boss and open*ing into the chamber adjacent to the points of junction of saidcam-faoes with one another. Screws m, passing through said holes, mayalone be employed to secure the cap to the furniture-leg A, and in thiscase the chamber may be dispensed with; but when it is desired to obtaina firm and staunch connection a bracket-plate N is preferably used inaddition to the screws. This plate, like the boss F, istrefoliate-shaped, having three wings or projections 11 and a centralscrewhole 0. In operation the plate may be first secured 'to thefurniture-leg by a screw 0 passed through said opening 0 and thecapapplied to inclose the plate within its chamber and then partiallyrotated to cause the edges of the wings of the plate to bind byfrictional contact against the cam-faces 70. The cap will then be firmlysupported, so that both hands of the operator may be employed inapplying the screws m.

In the modified construction of cap illus trated in Fig. 5 the chamberI, screw-holes Z, and bracket-plate are dispensed with and a stem 19,adapted to enter the ordinary socket q in the furniture-leg, employed inlieu thereof. This construction of cap is intended to be used only onfurniture-legs already equipped with sockets.

It will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion,and minor details of construction may be made Within the scope of theinvention Without departing or sacrificing any of the advantagesthereof.

Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim as new anduseful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a furniture-caster, the combination of a casing comprising a cupand a cap connected therewith, said cap being provided in its upper facewith a chamber and on its under side with a chambered boss, ballsinclosed in the boss and mounted to revolve on fixed axes therein, aroller-ball in the cup, and a bracket-plate fitted in the said chamberin the upper face of the cap and secured to said cap and adapted forattachment to a furniture-leg, substantially as described.

2. In a furniture-caster, the combination of a casing comprising a cupand a cap con nected therewith, said cap being provided in its upperface with a chamber the annular Wall of which is provided on its innerside with cam-faces and on its under side with a chambered boss, aseries of bearing-balls in closed in the boss and mounted to revolve onaxles -secured thereto, a roller-ball in the cup, and a bracket-plateadapted to fit in the said chamber in the upper face of the cap and toengage said cam-faces, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN II. GODDEN. GEORGE A. SEELY.

\Vitnesses:

DAVID P. RoBER'rs, GEORGE W. DAYFREUD.

